Internal combustion engines are already known which include a compressor for compressing the air drawn in by suction by the engine. Compressors of this kind can, for example, be in the form of an exhaust-gas turbocharger. An air path is provided which bypasses the compressor and the air mass flow, which bypasses the compressor in this manner, is controlled by means of a so-called circulation valve. The air supply to the engine is controlled by means of a power adjusting member, for example, a throttle flap. When the throttle flap is suddenly closed, the air mass flow abruptly reverses into the intake manifold of the engine. The flow at the charger veins of the compressor is interrupted at high compression because of the low air mass flow. The compression collapses. A charging pressure again builds up at lower compression. This leads to a pumping of the compressor which can load the shaft of the compressor or can cause disturbing noises. If, however, the circulation valve is opened when the throttle flap closes, then the air flows in the flow direction downstream of the compressor flows again via the air path in the flow direction ahead of the compressor and therefore in a circle. In this way, an unstable operation of the compressor is prevented. The circulation valve is opened when a gradient of the difference between actual and a desired charging pressure exceeds a pregiven threshold value or when the quotient of the actual charging pressure and an ambient pressure drops below a pregivable threshold which is dependent upon the engine rpm.